It seemed like a Good Idea at the Time

My Economic situation has recently shifted from Precarious to Marginal;  Well, it is an improvement.

So I can actually afford to window shop at the local Department stores, and my sister recently offered to get me some more goodies from LL Bean.  This spring I received a large box from them containing a really nice Winter Coat (Worn once during the last cold snap), Two Fleece Jackets and a Rain Parka. I'm set for the next year or three in the personal outerwear department.

With daily afternoon Thundershowers, I have been VERY grateful for the rain jacket.

I was considering asking them to contribute some items for my charitable distribution, but even on sale, the prices are a little shocking to someone who buys most of their new clothes at Walmart.  For example,  $18 for a Tee Shirt?   I have been buying new (100% cotton) Tee Shirts at Walmart for $4 this spring.  Another example of how divergent our economy has become. 

One of the older women I work with is in similarly precarious economic condition, I was going to request a suitable item for her from my family;  But I found myself browsing the clearance rack at Kohl's (I had a "Take an Extra 30% off" coupon) and found a perfect (OK, Good enough, she better like black) Nylon waterproof sports jacket of that sort. Right size, 80% off, good enough.

Nope, someone had moved it from the 70% rack. Oh well, just whining about it costing me more than I thought it would, $21.46 was still an incredible bargain for a generic name brand item like that.   Just wish the recipient was a tad more articulate about it being really useful. 

I'm never going to work all my good deeds off. 

Walmart Sales (Down for Five Quarters Now!)

According to a recent article, the Key "Same Store Sales" Metric continues to lag, another poor quarter (Down .04%) hidden behind the hoopla of Annual Meeting and Sales/Profits "Exceeding" expectations. 

Er, No.  Depending on capturing an ever expanding chunk of a shrinking market is not a menu for long term success.  At some point we need to revitalize the poorly performing areas of Walmart's core market, or the whole economy will slowly melt.

Walmart sales results, 4Q 2013

Were off again this quarter (report released 2/20/2014); That's two consecutive quarters with domestic same store sales declines ("Only" 0.4%); They blamed the disappointing Holiday season on (Federal) benefit cuts and bad weather.

What is most disappointing is the lack of discussion in the local media;  As far as I can tell, there was none, a couple of articles on the net, but that is about it.   The entire editorial page of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Friday (2/28/14) was trying to say that raising the minimum wage is a bad idea.  Not my belief obviously.

Meanwhile the state legislature has been busy trying to repeal the "Private Option" Medicaid expansion, while discussing building more prisons.

I see this (poor sales at Walmart) as a "Canary in the Coal Mine" phenomena, just how grim things are for the bottom 40% of the American population.  Walmart is so dominant in that retail space (3Q there was some mention of a "Group" of really poorly performing stores),  it is indicative of how badly our economy is serving that segment of our population. 

The charitable activities distributing food to school children have received more attention in the local media.  I ask you, what kind of society do we have that parents are unable to earn enough money at a "regular" job in what is supposedly one of the best performing economic areas of the country, that somewhere around 40% of our school children are eligible for Free/Reduced price meals?